This invention relates generally to brake assemblies and, more particularly, to a brake assembly for shopping carts.
Shopping carts have for many years provided a great convenience to customers of grocery stores, discount stores and the like. Typically, shopping carts are constructed with four freely rotating wheels, two of which are casters to permit the cart to roll and turn easily. However, although this construction greatly enhances maneuverability of the cart, it becomes a drawback in situations where it is desirable to maintain the cart in a fixed location. Typically, this occurs when the cart is being unloaded in the parking lot. Where the lot is not level, the carts tend to turn and roll down the slope, posing a hazard to automobiles, other persons in the parking lot, and even to small children who may be riding in the cart. Even if the lot is level, forces applied to the cart by the wind or by the customer as the groceries or other items in the carts are lifted out may cause the cart to roll or turn into an adjacent automobile.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,117,653; 4,976,447; and 5,042,622 all disclose brake assemblies to prevent the "run-away" cart problem. However, to be effective used in operation the brake assembly must, besides simply restraining the cart from movement, be economical to manufacture, easy to install both during assembly of the cart and when retrofitting existing carts and easy to operate. Simplicity of structure and ease of operation are the key for designing an effective brake assembly for shopping carts.
The prior brake assemblies are either flawed in solving the "run-away" cart problem or are deficient in the ease of manufacture, installation and use of the carts. A problem with some prior art brake assemblies is that the brake system restrains only one of the rear wheels which still allows the cart to spin around the one locked wheel potentially causing damage. Therefore to significantly reduce property damage and injuries, an effective brake assembly should restrain both rear wheels from rotating thereby equipping the operator with full control over the cart. In the existing dual wheel braking systems, separate actuation of a brake for each wheel is often required. Where both wheels are simultaneously braked by action of a single actuator, a linkage is used which has several moving parts which would be expensive to make, difficult to retrofit on carts not already having brakes, and more subject to failure due to the number of moving parts.
Thus, among the several objects and features of the present invention may be noted the provision of a brake assembly for a shopping cart which is sized and arranged for simultaneously applying a braking force to both of the rear wheels of the shopping cart with one-step activation; the provision of such a brake assembly which locks the brake shoe in braking position until disengaged; the provision of such a brake assembly which has a minimum of parts; the provision of such a brake assembly in which the moving parts are located away from fingers, legs and feet; the provision of such a brake assembly which can be factory installed or retrofitted to a retailer's existing fleet of carts; and the provision of such a brake assembly which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
Generally, a brake assembly of the present invention is adapted for use on a shopping cart having a frame, a basket mounted on the frame, front and rear wheels supporting the frame and basket for movement across a surface, and a handle for gripping to move the shopping cart across the surface. The brake assembly comprises a brake shoe having a unitary construction and being sized and arranged for simultaneously applying a braking force to both of the rear wheels of the shopping cart. The brake shoe includes elongate lever means pivotally mounted on the frame and having upper and lower end portions, an elongate actuator bar extending generally laterally of the lower end portions of said lever means the upper end portions of the lever means, and elongate wheel engaging means extending generally laterally of the lower end portions. The brake assembly further comprises a pedal pivotally mounted on the frame and linkage means connecting the pedal to the actuator bar of the brake shoe. The linkage means is operable upon actuation of the pedal to swing the brake shoe on the lever means between an unbraked position in which the wheel engaging means is simultaneously spaced from both of the rear wheels to permit free rotation of the rear wheels, and a braked position in which the wheel engaging means simultaneously engages the rear wheels and applies a braking force thereto to prevent movement of the shopping cart.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.